Wolverhampton brewery celebrates pioneering spirit of industry with new lager

A new beer inspired by the inventors, engineers and industrial visionaries who helped shape the world is set to be released by Wolverhampton's Springbanks Brewery.

The brewery said Wolverhampton and the wider surrounding region had a proud history of innovation, with local inventors, engineers and entrepreneurs responsible for ideas and inventions that resonate today.

To celebrate that heritage, it is getting ready to launch Pioneer 1884 Helles Lagerbier, a premium, bottom-fermented lager, which it said it believed was the first bottom-fermented lager ever brewed in Wolverhampton.

The brewery said the name Pioneer 1884 pays tribute to a period when Wolverhampton was at the forefront of technological advancement.

A spokesman for Springbanks Brewery said: “One of the most notable figures was local inventor Thomas Parker, who built the world's first practical electric car in 1884.

“Often referred to as the 'Edison of Europe', Parker went on to play a major role in electrifying the London Underground.

“Remarkably, his pioneering factory was situated just across the road from where Springbanks Brewery stands today.”

Other names the brewery said it wanted to pay tribute to through the new lager included Abraham Darby I, who revolutionised iron production by using coke instead of charcoal, paving the way for his grandson, Abraham Darby III, to construct the Iron Bridge in Shropshire, and Thomas Telford, whose bridges, roads and canals transformed the country's infrastructure.

The brewery is putting the finishing touches to the new beer and said it expects to release Pioneer 1884 in a few weeks time.

As well as looking forward to introducing it to drinkers, Springbanks said it is keen to hear from pubs that would be interested in supporting the launch and becoming part of the story.

A spokesman for Springbanks Brewery said: “We would welcome enquiries from pubs and licensees interested in stocking Pioneer 1884 and supporting a new locally brewed beer celebrating the history of the region.

“It's a beer with a story that starts right here in Wolverhampton, celebrating the people who dared to do things differently.”